There are several things that you can do to both get your home ready to be put on the market and improve its chances of being sold. Whether it’s sprucing up the exterior, or refreshing the interior, there are so many ways to make your home appear more attractive to potential buyers. Here are just a few examples of what you can do to up your chances of a sale.

Neutralize your Home’s Aesthetic

Try to keep your home’s décor while it’s being showcased as plain as possible to make it easier for prospective buyers to imagine their own decorating in its place. This includes painting over gaudy or oddly-colored walls and removing art that may only appeal to a narrow audience.

It’s also best to remove family photos and personal mementos from the display, making the home as versatile as possible for any open houses or tours that may happen. This enables buyers to better imagine your home as their own, meaning they can be more open to thinking about going through with the purchase.

Tidy Up

A simple step in getting your home ready for the real estate market is just making it look nice by picking up and updating the smaller touches. It’s best if you repaint any faded, chipped, or stained walls and ceilings so the home looks clean and well taken care of. Then, wash dirty clothes and dishes and put them away along with doing general organizing and straightening of the house. You should also hide items belonging to pets, such as litterboxes or bedding with offensive odors.

Once you’re done with that, you can de-clutter every room, placing unnecessary items in the basement or attic, or packing them up so they’re ready to be moved out of the house and out of the way. This will open up your rooms so they appear larger along with leaning into your house to look more organized. You should also draw open your curtains to let natural light in, opening the windows to let fresh air in.

Also, before a showing, realtors, for example, realtors like Nicole Gurries, would likely recommend that you spray air freshener or ignite scented candles to ensure that you are presenting a great-smelling environment.

Repair Major Appliances

Major appliances that are sold as part of your home, such as your stove, oven, built-in microwave, or dishwasher should be in good working condition when you leave the house. If any of them are not running at their best, that item should be repaired or replaced.

You may even consider installing some of these appliances if they did not initially come with the house, and where you’re going will have them already included. This way you can get rid of the appliances you don’t need anymore.

Update Plumbing and Lighting Fixtures

Another more obvious step when getting your home ready to sell is to take care of any plumbing problems, big or small, that could be a deterrent to people wanting to buy your house. If any of your plumbing fixtures are leaking, whether they are in the kitchen, one of the bathrooms, or outside they will need to be immediately repaired or replaced.

Also, if you have older lighting fixtures, they may not be as energy-efficient as they could be, or the fixtures are just simply out of style, you could be facing a major turnoff for buyers. LED bulbs and modern fixtures will certainly allow your home to appear more cozy and eco-friendly while also being brighter and more energy efficient.

Repair or Replace the Roof

If your roof has leaks or broken or missing shingles, these are definitely things that you should get fixed right away. Not only is a broken-down roof an eyesore, but it can also mean major problems for the house. Missing shingles and leaks put the entire house at risk of water damage, right down to the foundation. Not to mention anything stored in the attic that will be at risk thanks to the leaks. If you have the money, it may be a better investment for you to get your roof repaired, or even completely replaced, before selling your home.

Increase your Curb Appeal

Beyond the roof, there are many things you can do to increase the overall outward appeal of your home’s exterior to impress buyers. How your house looks on the outside can create a first impression that will stay with them as they decide whether or not to buy your home. 

For example, you can clean the gutters, swap out or repaint your mailbox and your street numbers, put a fresh coat of paint on your front door, and hose down your siding. You can also mow and landscape the lawn, clean up your backyard, and trim any plants or hedges. All of this will help to beautify your home and make it more appealing to house hunters.

In conclusion, there are many tips and tricks involved with getting your home ready for the market. Overall, the most important thing to remember is you’re trying to get the house to a place where it looks appealing and inviting. They’re also just basic maintenance tips that you won’t end up having to pay for later to get the house ready to be moved into, or that could end up driving down the price of what you can get on the home. If anything, you could likely use these improvements to raise the asking price, getting your money back on the labor and effort you invest into getting it ready to go to market.